Deal trumps Salazar’s ‘wild lands’ effort: A provision of the budget deal reached Friday would prohibit funding of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s order calling for an inventory of wild lands in the West. The Sentinel and NPR

Critics praise congressional BLM intervention: Critics of a controversial “wild lands” order issued late last year by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar are praising what looks like its death because of the last minute federal spending resolution reached Friday. Deseret News

Enviros howl at congressional ESA intervention: Congress for the first time is directly intervening in the Endangered Species List and removing an animal from it, establishing a precedent for political influence over the list that has outraged environmental groups. New York Times

He’s got his boot on BP’s neck, remember? Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday that Republicans have a “sense of amnesia” about last year’s Gulf of Mexico spill in pushing for legislation to spur more offshore oil and gas production. Politico

Notable Quotable:

“I think what happened on Friday is that we made the point that the county sheriff did not have the authority to reopen the park and invite visitors in when the federal government clearly had exclusive jurisdiction over the lands within the park and we had clear direction from Washington that we were to close the park to visitor use and access due to the lack of federal appropriations if Congress was unable to secure a budget by midnight Friday night,” Larry Frederick, NPS spokesman, in The Coloradoan.

And then there were two: After the 2008 election there were six Democratic governors in the West (excluding the west coast states and Texas). Now there are only two, John Hickenlooper in Colorado and Brian Schweitzer in Montana. Fox News

Make that The Dirty 11… : A Colorado legislative committee gave first approval Tuesday to a proposed reinstatement of a tax exemption for nonpackaged software, despite Democrats’ efforts to kill the bill. DBJ

… Make that The Dirty 10 … : A measure that would reinstate a sales tax exemption on agricultural products after a one-year absence has passed the Colorado House and was assigned the Senate Finance Committee. Greeley Tribune

Pushing the primary up: The state Senate gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a bill moving state primaries to the last Tuesday in June, instead of the second Tuesday in August. The change could put Colorado in compliance with a 2009 federal law designed to help service members and voters living abroad to vote. Associated Press

Ashcroft, rescheduled: After one canceled appearance in Fort Collins, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is now scheduled to speak in Loveland later this month. The Coloradoan

On balance: David Neslin, director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, testified before a Senate committee in Washington Tuesday that state regulations of hydraulic fracturing ensure safety, striking “a responsible balance between energy development and environmental protection.” Durango Herald

Backing off events at Maroon Bells: Pitkin County commissioners and U.S. Forest Service officials are looking to limit, or at least closely monitor, the number of events allowed at the Maroon Bells — often called the most photographed mountains in the U.S. — and on the road leading to the area. Aspen Daily News

The Al White template: Pitkin County officials this week are submitting a local economic development plan to the governor’s office, stressing the need for more tourism marketing and tax revenue from the state. Aspen Daily News

Garfield gags on 2nd CD rumor: Garfield County does not want to be cut out of the 3rd Congressional District and stuck in the 2nd District, as part of a redrawing of congressional district boundaries following the 2010 U.S. Census. Glenwood P-I

Questioning the need for deed-restricted housing: As both Frisco and Breckenridge move forward with workforce housing projects, some in the real estate industry are questioning the need for additional deed-restricted units while the housing market remains weak. Summit Daily News

Today’s non-political must-read: A Pueblo couple said they went from rags to riches, to rags again — all because the local newspaper printed the wrong winning lottery numbers. KMGH 7

Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog has named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.